CA Republicans Sue Hispanic Dem Candidate For Being Too Inspirational

The Fresno Bee reports: In a pointed new challenge, a Sacramento law firm is asking a judge to block Hernandez from describing himself as an ‘astronaut/scientist/engineer’ on the June ballot. The lawsuit notes Hernandez has left NASA.

What a fun trend this could be, minorities having to go to court for permission to publicly associate with their life’s work! There’s some job creation for you: Hernandez says on his Facebook page that it will cost $20,000 to hire lawyers to defeat the lawsuit.

Disgraced megalomaniacs like Newt Gingrich will still be referred to by their former titles such as ‘Mr. Speaker,’ but only as a special reward for being forced to resign his post in shame.

Also from the Fresno Bee excerpt:

‘Hernandez’s attempted use of ‘astronaut’ violates the Election Code’s unambiguous requirement that a candidate’s ballot designation reflect one’s current profession, vocation, or one held during the previous calendar year,’ the lawsuit states.

I don’t know if this is true or not, that it’s a violation of the Election Code here in California, but it seems like a childish quibble to me. [addendum]

As the article notes, he is the son of migrant farm workers. Inspired by the words of his father, he took American education seriously and eventually became what I consider to be a hero. (C’mon, a freaking astronaut qualifies as “Hero” in my book.)

Hernández, who is now running against incumbent Congressman Jeff Denham in the 10th Congressional District, emphasized how his parents influenced his education and career.

“I see a lot of me in you,” Hernández told the students who took part in the ‘Dream to be a Hero’ motivational talk organized by the Club Laitnoamericano del Valle Central. “I am not that different than you are.

We can’t have that, now can we?/

This is also part of what pisses me off about hard-core anti-immigrant assholes. Would that they had their way, we’d be minus one inspiring astronaut right now, and our nation would be lesser for it.

UPDATE: H/T Wrenchwench (thank you for this): Here’s Jose Hernandez talking about how he became an astronaut and why he’s running for Congress.

The CA ballot has a little “occupation” space, in which they have to put their current profession only, and a big “statement” space in which they can put all their experience and connections. It looks like he’s trying to put something not currently the case (a no-no) in the little space. The place for it is the big space.

Although I freely admit to being biased in favor of (former and present) astronauts, and will tend to give them the benefit of the doubt over the average GOP official, the more I think about it the more I think you (and regrettably, the GOP) are right about this one. It’s important not to be deceptive or appear to be deceptive in these things.

It’s unfortunate that no one on his staff (if he has any) were able to advise him on this.

Although I freely admit to being biased in favor of (former and present) astronauts, and will tend to give them the benefit of the doubt over the average GOP official, the more I think about it the more I think you (and regrettably, the GOP) are right about this one. It’s important not to be deceptive or appear to be deceptive in these things.

It’s unfortunate that no one on his staff (if he has any) were able to advise him on this.

The GOPers may be acting like babies about this, but if CA election law says that candidates can’t tout their former profession/vocation if said profession/vocation isn’t germane to the office said candidate is running for, then that’s just the way it is. If one doesn’t like the law, fight to change it, but even that can be like tilting at windmills sometimes.

That said , however, I don’t otherwise see an issue with Hernandez touting his scientific/NASA creds and his rags-to-riches story; the only reason I can see that the GOP is fighting like mad on this is that the prospect of Hernandez beating them scares them.

The more I think about it, and read comments from other Lizards, the more I become convinced that local GOP officials are likely right on this one. I wouldn’t put down my occupation as “CEO of Super-Widgets” on a ballot/voter pamphlet if it had been well over a year since I held that position or worked for that company.

That said , however, I don’t otherwise see an issue with Hernandez touting his scientific/NASA creds and his rags-to-riches story; the only reason I can see that the GOP is fighting like mad on this is that the prospect of Hernandez beating them scares them.

Not at all. As C1nnabar pointed out, there’s a big space for him to do that, and I think he should. In fact, I wish there were more people like him running for office. Especially people with a professional background in the sciences.

My husband’s question is: does he not do any astronaut things now that he’s left NASA? Does he not speak about the space program, participate in panels, talk to kids about space? Are you really only an ‘astronaut’ if you are going into space right this second?

Also, will they accept ‘retired astronaut’?

It’s not that I don’t understand the problem. I don’t know anything bad about Jeff Denham, but no one is as cool as an astronaut. How is anyone NOT going to check the box next to ‘astronaut’? Denham would need to be a ninja to even start to compete.

(3) No more than three words designating either the current
principal professions, vocations, or occupations of the candidate, or
the principal professions, vocations, or occupations of the
candidate during the calendar year immediately preceding the filing
of nomination documents.

So the local GOP officials seem to win on a technicality.

I tend to think that “astronaut” is a title you get to claim for life, what with going up into outer space and all. But apparently the CA election code does not allow one to claim this or anything else as an occupation if you were not actively employed as such in the current year or the last.

This is also part of what pisses me off about hard-core anti-immigrant assholes. Would that they had their way, we’d be minus one inspiring astronaut right now, and our nation would be lesser for it.

True, but you know what their response will be:

“Well, if you hard-core liberal baby-killers had your way Einstein would have been aborted.”

(Of course you would think they’d be pleased about that, since Einstein was one of those evil “scientists,” but they have a soft spot for Einstein, since he can be easily quote-mined to give belief in God a veneer of scientific support, and he helped build us the Bomb, too. Plus he’s conveniently dead, so he can’t upset them with his views on evolution and global warming.)